White House Changed CIA Talking Points (The Truth Comes Out

Washington Free Beacon ^ | November 19, 2012 | Bill Gertz

[Kaslin]

“The intelligence community had it right, and they had it right early,” said chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Rep. Mike Rogers (R., Mich.).

The CIA “talking points” on Benghazi initially identified the attackers as al Qaeda or al Qaeda-linked terrorists but senior administration officials removed the reference, Rogers said on NBC’s Meet the Press.

Meanwhile, White House deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes told reporters traveling with the president on Saturday that the White House made only minor changes in the first comments by a White House official on the Benghazi security scandal.

“We were provided with points by the intelligence community that represented their assessment,” Rhodes said on Air Force One en route to Asia. “The only edit made by the White House was the factual edit about how to refer to the facility.”

Rhodes insisted that the word “consulate” was changed to “diplomatic facility” to reflect the fact that the compound was not involved in traditional consular activities.

“Other than that, we were guided by the points that were provided by the intelligence community,” he said. “So I can’t speak to any other edits that may have been made.”

Rogers said the talking points were reviewed by a “deputies committee” of senior officials that is “populated by appointees from the administration. That’s where the narrative changed.”

Rogers was commenting on closed-door testimony Friday by former CIA Director David Petraeus who revealed the talking points were changed, apparently to play down the terrorist connection. Rep. Peter King (R., N.Y.), an intelligence committee member, first disclosed this information shortly after the Petraeus hearing.

United States Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice in five Sunday talk show interviews used the altered talking points that emphasized falsely that the Benghazi attack was a spontaneous reaction to an anti-Muslim video.

The attack resulted in the death of four Americans including the U.S. ambassador to Libya.

Vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee Saxby Chambliss (R., Ga.) also said on Fox News Sunday that Petraeus said the initial talking points were altered and that senior intelligence and security officials did not know who was behind the changes.

“At the hearing we had on Thursday and Friday, we had every leader of the intelligence community there, including folks from the State Department, the FBI, everybody there was asked, do you know who made these changes? And nobody knew,” Chambliss said.

“The only entity that reviewed the talking points that was not there was the White House. I don’t know whether what they said yesterday is exactly right or not. But, what I do know is that every member of the intelligence community says that references to al Qaeda were removed by somebody and they don’t know who. And references to attacks versus demonstrations were removed by somebody.”

Chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee Dianne Feinstein (D., Calif.) disagreed with Rogers and said allegations the White House changed the talking points were false. “So there was only one thing that was changed and I’ve checked into this, I believe it to be absolute fact and that was the word ‘consulate’ was changed to ‘mission,’” she said on the same program.

“That’s the only change that anyone in the White House made and I have checked this out,” she said.

But Rogers, a former FBI agent, insisted the White House was behind the change.

“What was said and as I conclude the course of that investigation was that at some point those so-called talking points, in other words, the narrative of how we would call this event, went up to what’s called the ‘deputies’ meeting,” he said. “When asked, there was no one in the professional intelligence community could tell us who changed what. So there goes the disconnect. So the intelligence community said this was a terrorist act.”

Rogers’ comments also bolster statements made by U.S. intelligence officials to the Free Beacon in early October that intelligence indicating an al Qaeda link to the attack was deliberately cut out by senior administration officials.

One intelligence official said the reason for the omission of the information on al Qaeda was that the intelligence contradicted President Barack Obama’s statement at the Democratic National Convention weeks earlier that al Qaeda was “on the path to defeat.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) agreed on Sunday, saying on Meet the Press that he believes the intelligence indicating an al Qaeda link to the Benghazi attack was removed for political reasons.

“I think one of the reasons that Susan Rice told the story she did, if the truth came out a few weeks before the election that our consulate in Benghazi, Libya, had been overrun by an al Qaeda-sponsored or -affiliated militia, that destroys the narrative we’ve been hearing for months that al Qaeda has been dismantled, bin Laden’s dead, we’re safer,” Graham said on Meet the Press.

“And Susan Rice just did not say it was the results of a mob spawned by a video like Cairo,” he said. “She actually said on Face the Nation, I want to remind the American people, this president promised to go after bin Laden, refocus on al Qaeda. He got bin Laden, al Qaeda’s been dismantled, and the truth of the matter is nothing could have been further from the truth, and the story she told reinforced a political narrative helpful to the president.”

Asked if there was a “cover up” on Benghazi, Rogers said, “Well, this is what I know: I know the narrative was wrong, and the intelligence was right. Now, getting between here and there, I think you have to be careful about making those accusations. I think you should have to prove it. As an old FBI agent, you should prove it first.”

Rogers defended the intelligence assessment from the time of the attack as identifying the strike as “an act of terrorism.”

“There were some policy decisions made based on the narrative that was not consistent with the intelligence that we had,” he said. “That’s my concern and we need to say hey, we need to figure out how that happened and let’s make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

Feinstein said she did not believe there was a cover up.

The Benghazi attack received little attention by major news media outlets prior to Nov. 6. The New York Times carried few stories about the attack and devoted few resources to covering the story in what critics say was an apparent effort to play down a major security failure by the Obama administration.

Rogers said the failure to provide adequate protection for diplomats and intelligence personnel in Benghazi was “a catastrophic failure in recognizing that threat posture clearly on that day.”

On the sex scandal that led to Petreaus’ resignation and has also ensnared the current U.S. commander in Afghanistan Gen. John Allen, Rogers said Petraeus “did the right thing” in stepping down.

A new CIA officer that failed to disclose an extramarital affair would be fired, he said. “Why? Because it’s a counterintelligence threat to someone who has very sensitive and classified information,” Rogers said.

Rogers also said he is “not sure” Obama was not informed of the FBI investigation of Petraeus before the Nov. 6 election. The president insisted he did not know until after the election.

Rogers said that the issue needs to be investigated.

Feinstein said she believed the president was kept out of the loop on the Petraeus probe which began with an investigation of cyber harassment of Tampa socialite Jill Kelley.

“I spoke to the attorney general,” she said. “He explained the process that the FBI carried out and there’s a reason for that. And the reason for not disclosing it [to the president] is so that there is no manipulation; that there is an ability to move ahead without any political weighing in on any side.”

[rodguy911]

he only entity that reviewed the talking points that was not there was the White House. I don’t know whether what they said yesterday is exactly right or not. But, what I do know is that every member of the intelligence community says that references to al Qaeda were removed by somebody and they don’t know who. And references to attacks versus demonstrations were removed by somebody.”

Can you say david Axelrod....

[rodguy911]

Rice was brought in and lied her ass off because they probably couldn't find anyone else high enough to do the job. Besides she still thinks zero will nominate her for sec of state. Silly girl that ship sailed and was knocked down by f-16's. Also this is more axelrod buy time at any cost BS. They did it for four years. It always worked. Right down to the end when we were terrorized from within by Colin Powell and the fat basturd from NJ.If not for them we could have won.

[rawcatslyentist]

>"even if it comes out that he did - his worshipers won’t care - they won’t even bat an eye over it and will bow down and kiss his feet anyway.

II Thessolonians 2:10

10) And by unlimited seduction to evil, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing because they did not welcome the truth, but refused to love it.

11) Therefore God sends upon them a misleading influence, a working of error and a strong delusion to make them believe what is false.

[dalebert]

but no one seems to care

[rodguy911]

Valerie Jarrett is another(mobster) who is in way over her head...just a Chicago thugess.

Jarrett has a long history as a far left criminal as does her entire family. She was the consiglierre for the daley mob until zero got picked to play potus. Now she is the defacto potus along with moochhell. If you will note both have secret service protection. Highly unusual for a "top advisor". They have gotten rid of several chiefs of staff including one of the daleys and rhambo. Others will come and go as well.They trust no white guys and very few blacks. Axelrod runs everything political. He is responsible you can bet your butt for most of how Benghazi was spun.

[PhilDragoo]

It’s treason. Regardless of what he’s trying to cover up, the fact that HE was the only one who could give the order for CBA (cross border access) means HE is the one who was willing to condemn 41 people to a horrible death, all so he could get reelected. He’s guilty of treason.

Hussein had to squelch the fact that Al Qaeda won a battle against the Great Satan (or Lucifer, for Alinskyites like the Taqiya Barrito).

Add the converse, that Saladin Wire Chicago had to conceal that he and the Hillary-Huma are abetting the Muslim Brotherhood with Saudi moolah, US tech and NATO accessory.

NATO being the radical Islamist puke in Turkey.

Meanwhile America watches Dancing With the Infidels and Survivor-Staten Island, blissfully ignorant of the ensuing Jihad Productions Road to Revelations.

[Fred Nerks]

Someone should have warned Gaddafi to be careful who he shook hands with:

Judging by the calibre of the people who engineered his downfall and the destruction of his country, it's not difficult to see who betrayed him and stole Libyan treasure to hand to the islamists.

[Graewoulf]

BUMP.

[PraiseTheLord]

” The bobble head twins who link back to John Kerry, among others. “

And also link back to bronco - as in *related* - thru arab mother.

[Marine_Uncle]

RE: "Look at post #49, looks like someone’s sent a trial balloon to see if Rogers is willing to veer off the trail."
Rogers would have to be a fool to accept the position.

[lentulusgracchus]

(Article) Feinstein said she believed the president was kept out of the loop on the Petraeus probe which began with an investigation of cyber harassment of Tampa socialite Jill Kelley.

Dianne Feinstein believes in the Tooth Fairy too. What a maroon.

---

DiFi is certainly worth a Looking Glass Award for believing three impossible things before breakfast.

[lentulusgracchus]

[exit82] My bet is on Valerie Jarrett changing the talking points for Rice.

I nominate DiFi for the Pan-Galactic Moron Award as well, for believing anything that Vogon Larva Eric Holder ever said.

[piasa]

Very true, he’d have to be an idiot. Sounds like a desperate try.

[lentulusgracchus]

HE is the one who was willing to condemn 41 people to a horrible death, all so he could get reelected. He’s guilty of treason.

My own guess is that the main thing they're trying to protect is Obama's back-channel wheeling and dealing (conspiring and betraying) with the Muslim Brotherhood and their new front man, President Morsi of Egypt.

Which goes back to 2010 and the Gaza Flotilla caper, and the simultaneous presence in Cairo of Code Pink's founder/agitator Medea Benjamin with none other than Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn (HEL-lo!). So Bill/Bernardine/CodePinko were over there looking for Brotherhood fuzzies to schmooze with and deliver "personal" messages from Barky, even while Hosni Mubarak, our actual ally, was still president of Egypt.

By the way: Grep and grok this Codepink page on their (up to the lady-parts) involvement in Gaza gunrunning/agitprop activities in 2011:

http://www.codepinkalert.org/article.php?id=5871

Keep in mind, this is their notoriety-clippings file. Look at the article titles alone, to see the Media and Moonbat groveling going on at the feet of Hamas's murderers.

Now, furthermore, the Benghazi raid leader was killed in Egypt -- anyone notice that? Why was he in Egypt? (Hint: Because Egypt is where he came from, maybe? And that would mean he's Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood -- Abu Ayman's guys -- and not some local Libyan fuzzy-wuzzy Salafist, as The New York Times told us.)

[Marine_Uncle]

If he is stupid. Let it be so.

[lentulusgracchus]

Sartorial splendor note: Looks like Petraeus had ditched the grey-green Green Machine "Unicam" fatigues and gone with the new pattern they've gone with that looks more like the Marines' MARPAT (which was CADPAT first, the Canadian camo pattern, before it acquired little globe-and-anchor Army Puke Repellent countermeasures).

I forget what the new pattern is called -- Multicam or some such.

[lentulusgracchus]

What I'm waiting for is SOMEONE to step up and LEAD the way to getting to the bottom of what happened, instead of "blowing to the galleries" and taking NO action.

What, you mean like a RiNO? That's why they had to go along with Florida Rats' plans to get rid of Col Allen West through redistricting. Guys like him have a bad habit of acting and leading -- can't have that in the Yacht Club Caucus!

(West is going to sue, btw. -- watch RNC refuse to back him.)

[onyx]